jessicaessica's review
4.0
This book is very short, yet very good! Being a Norse Pagan, I can't help but think that White Beard is Odin. There is just enough intrigue to make me want to read the other 2 books that the author says is connected to this book.
The pace was just fast enough that you wanted to keep going so you could find out what was happening. Not a lot of world building which is good for a novella this length. To me this whole book was a set up to explain why Lily is the way she is when she is older. I can't wait to read the other books to find out more!
This book was provided for free by NetGalley to review.
The pace was just fast enough that you wanted to keep going so you could find out what was happening. Not a lot of world building which is good for a novella this length. To me this whole book was a set up to explain why Lily is the way she is when she is older. I can't wait to read the other books to find out more!
This book was provided for free by NetGalley to review.
tatyana_'s review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the author, E. G. Creel, for an advanced copy of this book!
This short story follows Lily who is a Duban. Every Duban is born as a twin. So when Lily is born with a shadow instead it is expected that she will be killed by her community to her parents’ dismay. Lily ends up surviving, but unfortunately, her parents do not. As a result, she ends up being passed between two adoptive families who care for her until she is a toddler. Along the way, this short story explores how powerful the fear of the unknown can be through Lily and other characters. There are also magical elements woven throughout the story with other worlds and creatures. After reading this, I learned that this story is connected to some of the author's other novels where we learn more about Lily and her adoptive father. I would be interested in learning more about the characters and this world, especially since this ends on a cliffhanger.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent
kellysavagebooks's review
adventurous
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
All Dubans are born twins…except when they aren’t. And when they aren’t, the extra magic has to go somewhere. That somewhere is a shadow, uncontrollable and dangerous.
At least, that’s what we’re told, but it doesn’t bear out—not in a fun subversion of what characters believe way, just in an author couldn’t commit way. Lily’s shadow does one nasty thing at the beginning, and then seems fully under her control and completely harmless.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. This story has a fun premise and could have been a sweet fairytale-style story, but it falls incredibly flat. The writing itself is lackluster, clumsy, and littered with an unforgivable amount of typos in its 20 pages. There’s less plot than there is a series of happenings, and it doesn’t really say or do anything. Overall, it feels like Creel hasn’t found her voice as a writer (which I hate saying in reviews, it sounds so condescending, but in this case it’s the best way I can explain it), so this potentially charming and fun idea unfortunately got lost in the weeds.
ARC provided by E.G. Creel and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
floofymoosereads's review
adventurous
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Lily by E.G. Creel is a middle grade fantasy short story that is quite cute. It’s about a girl that instead of being born with a twin, she’s born with a shadow. She bops around from caregiver to caregiver as a small child and we learn about the experiences around her. It’s short, but I loved the characters and the story. The author’s voice is almost melodic at times and that made it enjoyable to read.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Recommendation: I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This was a fun, quick read. Based on the author’s note at the end, this is related to two other of the author’s works - a fantasy novella titled The Immortal and a YA fantasy novella, Gena. I enjoyed this short story such that I’ve added those two novellas to my #tbr. If you are looking for a small bite of cute fantasy that’s enjoyable to read, I think you would like this story.
jasperdotpdf's review
adventurous
fast-paced
2.0
Thank you to NetGalley and E. G. Creel for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This novella definitely had potential, but unfortunately wasn't nearly fleshed out enough to warrant a higher rating.
I really liked the premise of a girl being born alone in a society that usually only has twin-births, and exploring the consequences of that in a grim, atmospheric setting. The book is also an incredibly easy read, and could definitely be enjoyed by someone looking for a bedtime-esque story. Other than that, I really struggled to enjoy my time reading Lily.
A lot of the scenes could have used a little bit more care. I oftentimes felt like the novella was falling woefully short of the atmosphere it was trying to convey.
There were also a few things that had no real anchor in the novella as it stands. The description of the book says Creel imagined it to be narrated by David Attenborough, but the few lines of narration were sprinkled in with otherwise very sterile/barebones writing. There wasn't enough consistency with these 4th wall breaks to make them humorous or endearing rather than immersion breaking.
Halfway through the book, we're also introduced to some themes of Norse mythology that came seemingly out of nowhere, and 90% of the characters and creatures we meet could have used a lot more fleshing out.
The book sits at less than 40 pages, so there was definitely room for more exposition and scene-setting, and I wish Lily had been allowed to take up the space it could have filled with its very interesting premise.
This novella definitely had potential, but unfortunately wasn't nearly fleshed out enough to warrant a higher rating.
I really liked the premise of a girl being born alone in a society that usually only has twin-births, and exploring the consequences of that in a grim, atmospheric setting. The book is also an incredibly easy read, and could definitely be enjoyed by someone looking for a bedtime-esque story. Other than that, I really struggled to enjoy my time reading Lily.
A lot of the scenes could have used a little bit more care. I oftentimes felt like the novella was falling woefully short of the atmosphere it was trying to convey.
There were also a few things that had no real anchor in the novella as it stands. The description of the book says Creel imagined it to be narrated by David Attenborough, but the few lines of narration were sprinkled in with otherwise very sterile/barebones writing. There wasn't enough consistency with these 4th wall breaks to make them humorous or endearing rather than immersion breaking.
Halfway through the book, we're also introduced to some themes of Norse mythology that came seemingly out of nowhere, and 90% of the characters and creatures we meet could have used a lot more fleshing out.
The book sits at less than 40 pages, so there was definitely room for more exposition and scene-setting, and I wish Lily had been allowed to take up the space it could have filled with its very interesting premise.
lina_k's review
lighthearted
2.75
I think the story was a bit too ambitious for only being about 30 pages long. The writing style is quite juvenile and some of the fourth wall breaks feel a bit cheesy.
However, I enjoyed the world and the characters, however brief the story might have been.
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC
However, I enjoyed the world and the characters, however brief the story might have been.
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC
mistressviolet's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A quick read filled with dark folklore vibes and a sprinkling of Norse mythology. I enjoyed the premise.
I did, however, find the writing a bit simple. Although the book is marketed towards a young adult audience, I thought the writing was more appropriate for middle grade readers.
A good and quick story, but nothing that blew me away.
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